Crowe also had a spell with English county side Somerset between 1984 and 1988, and scored a total of 19,608 first-class runs in his career.

He retired in 1996 with a knee injury and went on to become a television commentator and author.

He also helped develop Cricket Max - a precursor to Twenty20.

In 2014, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Crowe said he could "happily live with" New Zealand's World Cup final against Australia being potentially the last match he ever saw.

"My precarious life ahead may not afford me the luxury of many more games to watch and enjoy," he wrote on ESPN Cricinfo. "So this is likely to be it. The last, maybe, and I can happily live with that."

His older brother, Jeff, played 39 Tests for New Zealand between 1983 and 1990, while he was a cousin of the Hollywood actor Russell Crowe.

Barcelona forward Neymar has revealed his ambitions to play in the Premier League, admitting desire to play under Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho.

The 25-year-old arrived at the Camp Nou in 2013 from Santos and has gone on to form a formiddable partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in the deadly attack combo, but there were reports last summer that the Brazilian was considering his future at the Camp Nou, with suggestions of a move to the Premier League or Paris Saint Germain being in the offing.

Neymar in a recent interview with the Sun, confessed his love for the Premier League and even revealed his desire to play under Guardiola or Mourinho.

He said: “The Premier League is a championship that amazes me.

“I like the playing style and the teams. And who knows, someday, I would like to play at it, yes.

“I admire Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool — these are the teams that are always there fighting.